Vasanti Estate Winery releases its first wines

Photo: Sidhu family (l-r): Vik, Davinder, Harb and Gordie (Melissa Bexton Photography

Vasanti Estate Winery, a new Okanagan producer just north of Oliver, has a creative approach to recruiting members for its wine club. Each of the first 40 members has his or her name on a plaque at the end of one of the 40 vineyard rows beside the winery. If any of member drops out, the next in line will get a plaque. As it happens, Vasanti has two wine clubs: Zephyr and Aurora. Each has plenty of inducements in addition to plaques.

Vasanti, which plans to open a tasting room next April, is owned and operated by the Sidhu family. The winery name is derived from a Punjabi concept meaning new beginnings and renewal. It was inspired by family scion Harb Sidhu’s decision in 1980 to come to the Okanagan from India. Here, he established himself in agriculture, first with an orchard and later with vineyards. The family now has about 20 acres of vineyard in the Oliver/Osoyoos area of the Okanagan. “We three brothers decided it was a good time to continue on his legacy and start the winery,” says Davinder Sidhu, who was born in 1988 and is the middle of the brothers. “We had always dreamt of a winery when we were younger. It has a sentimental value to us because we all grew up as kids at the location where the winery will be.”

The brothers all have careers outside the winery. Gordie, the oldest brother, is a financial planner while Vik, the youngest brother, is trained as a biologist. Mentored by Jason Parkes, the winery’s consulting winemaker, Vik is assuming many of the winery’s viticultural and cellar duties. He also looks after creative duties. The elegantly packaged wines testify to his creative talents.

Davinder is an optometrist and the owner of two clinics in Prince Rupert. But he was exposed to the wine industry when he was earning his first degree. “I got my biochemistry degree from UBC Okanagan,” he says. “I did research at UBC Okanagan and [the research station] in Summerland for methoxypyrazines in cool climate wines in 2010 and 2011, some of which was published.”

Then he trained as an optometrist at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, the oldest school for that speciality in the United States. “I had an interest in healthcare while I was at UBC,” he says. “Optometry allows for a good work life balance which would allow me to continue my other passions in life such as agriculture and wine.” He continues: “This passion project [the winery] means quite a lot to my family and myself. I am putting a lot of bandwidth into this long term. In terms of optometry, I love seeing patients but I have always had a sweet spot for farming. That is the way I was born and raised. My summers were spent on the farm; they were not spent at the beach, so it is in my blood.”

Winemaker Jason Parkes,(above) born in Kitimat in 1971, has one of the more colourful résumés in the industry. He led a “spacepunk” rock band called Glasshead and currently leads a New Wave band called Proper Man. Between bands, he took a vineyard job at Hainle Vineyards that led to a his flourishing winemaking career with a number of Okanagan producers and with his own label. His impressive list of clients includes Indigenous World Winery, The Hatch Winery and Lakeside Cellars. “We have been friends with him since we planted our first vines; and we have always sold grapes to him, so we developed a close relationship over time,” Davinder says. “We are all trying to learn from Jason as well. He wants to teach us how things are done and what his methods are.”

Four of the six wines in Vasanti’s current portfolio are reviewed here. The other two wines are a Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon, not quite ready for release. Four more wines will be released next spring when the tasting room opens (by appointment). These are 2022 Gamay Noir, 2023 Gamay Noir Rosé, 2023 Pinot Gris and 2023 Sparkling Pinot Gris.

Here are notes on the four wines that were available for review.

Vasanti Chardonnay 2022 ($27.49). The fruit is from the Jagger Rock Vineyard near Cawston in the Similkameen Valley. The wine was fermented and aged in stainless steel, accounting for the expressive fruit-forward style. It begins with aromas of lime. There is a big mouthful of orchard fruits on the palate, including citrus, green apple and pineapple. 91.

Vasanti Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé 2022 ($29.99). The fruit is from the west bench block of the winery’s Monarch Vineyard at Osoyoos. The grapes were pressed and the juice was allowed to settle for three days before fermenting and aging in stainless steel. The wine presents with a deep rose colour. It begins with aromas of watermelon, strawberry and plum. On the juicy palate, there are flavours of strawberry, cherry and red plum. 90.

Vasanti Cabernet Merlot 2021 ($36.99). This is a blend of 46.67% Cabernet Franc, 36% Merlot and 17.33% Cabernet Sauvignon. All of these wines were fermented in stainless steel tanks with three pump-overs on a daily basis. The wines were aged in barrels for 19 months. The Cabernet Franc was in new American oak; the Cabernet Sauvignon was 50% in new American oak, 50% in neutral oak; and the Merlot was aged in 25% new American oak and 75% in neutral oak. The wine begins with aromas of black cherry and cassis. The wine benefits from decanting, which opens up the rich texture and the flavours of black cherry, black currant and mocha. The finish is long. 92.

Vasanti Cabernet Franc 2021 ($39.99). This wine was aged 19 months in new American oak barrels. The oak is amazingly well integrated in the wine, which has a rich texture, aromas of blackberry, dark cherry and spice. On the palate, the flavours of dark cherry and blackberry mingle with chocolate and spice. Again, the finish is long. 92.